Correlation of plasma vitamin d receptors with the severity of psoriasis vulgaris

Introduction: Psoriasis vulgaris is still a major problem in the field of dermatology. Until recently, the exact cause of psoriasis is still being debated. In recent years research has been carried out on vitamin D and its role in the immune system, especially in psoriasis. Vitamin D cannot be separated from the role of VDR. The study aims to evaluate correlation between VDR plasma levels and the severity of psoriasis vulgaris. Method: Study design using a cross-sectional design to determine the correlation of vitamin D levels in plasma with the severity of psoriasis vulgaris calculated using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score. Result: This study included 47 study participants who had psoriasis vulgaris, consisting of 30 (63.8%) men and 17 (36.2%) women with a mean age of 44.66 years. The mean PASI score was 6.904, while the mean plasma VDR level was 30.328 ng/ml. Spearman correlation shows a strong negative correlation (r = -0.979; p<0.001) between plasma VDR levels and PASI scores in psoriasis vulgaris patients. Conclusion: Vitamin D plays a role in regulating the growth and differentiation of keratinocytes and influences dendritic cells and T lymphocytes' immune function so that low vitamin D levels have essential implications in the pathogenesis of psoriasis vulgaris. In performing its function, vitamin D must bind to VDR and form a complex. In this study, it was found that there was a strong negative correlation between plasma VDR levels and PASI scores, so it can be concluded that low plasma VDR levels correlate with high degrees of psoriasis vulgaris severity and vice versa.